Engraving machine



April23, 1940 F. ACKERMAN ET'AL ENGRAVING MACHINE Filed Dec. 28, 1958 w IIN.

principle of the pantograph.

Patented Ap 23, 1940 ENGRAVING MACHINE Frank Ackerman, Bronx, and Herman Gould. Brooklyn, N. Y.

Application December zs, 193s, semi No. z4s,oaz

(c1. sia-13.1)

6 Claims.

Our present invention relates to an engraving machine and aims to provide certain improvements therein. More particularly it relates to an engraving machine which operates on the The primary object of our invention is to provide a relatively portable machine of the type specified adapted for reproducing by engraving ordinary characters from type or stencils or facsimile signatures onto flat, curved, or round objects, such as pencils, fountain pens, tooth brushes, pipe stems, compacts, vanity cases and the like, formed of wood, hard rubber, plastics, enamel ware and certain metals. A further object is to provide such machine wherein the pres- 'sure ofthe engraving cutter upon the work is maintained substantially uniform so that the depth of the engraving cut is substantially uni-- form regardless of the character or form of the object being engraved. A further object is to provide such machine which will be simple in construction and which can be emciently operated by unskilled labor after a few minutes instruction.

The foregoing and other objects not specifically enumerated are accomplished by our vpresent invention, the construction and operation of which will be understood from'the detailed description which follows when considered in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of an engraving machine embodying our invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the operative mechanism of the machine.

Fig. 3 is a section taken substantially along the plane of the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a front elevation of the work support.

Fig. 5 is a fractional longitudinal section through the nose of the cutter, which latter is shown in elevation.

Fig. 6 is a longitudinal section through a modified form of one of the work clamping elements.

Fig. 7 is an end elevation of the work clamping element shown in Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawing, the engraving machine may be said to consist of a supporting base I0 upon which is mounted a wo'rk support a cutter I2, a pantograph I3, a platen I4 and an v electric motor |5.

'I'he base I0 may be formed as a metal casting having at one corner thereof an upstanding arm or standard I6 at the top of which is an inwardly directed lug |1 which is centrally drilled toprovide a pivot mounting for both the pantograph y for sliding movement in a dove-tail slideway |3 and a base support I8 for the electric motor. Also extending upwardly from the top of the base I0 is a pair of short pedestals I3 upon which the platen |4 is mounted.

The worksupport consists of an angular bracket or fixed member 20 rigidly mounted on the base` I0, the upright arm 2| of the bracket being formed on one face with a dove-tail slideway 22 within which is slidably mounted one member 23 of a holding clamp, the cooperating member 24 of said holding clamp being mounted in one face of the member 23. The upright arm 2| of the bracket 20 is also formed with an opening 26 therethrough through which extends pins 21 and 28 mounted on the member 23. A pin 29 also extends outwardly from the upright arm 2| and connecting said pin 29 with the pin 21 is a tension spring 30 which normally biases the holding clamp towards its uppermost position with respect to the upright arm 2| oi the bracket. For moving the holding clamp downwardly n against the tension of the spring 30 there is mounted in a bearing lug 3| on the bracket 20 a rock-lever 32 one end of which is bent as indicated at 33 and pivotally connected to the pin 28. The opposite end of the rock-lever 32 is also 25 bent at an angle and flattened as indicated at 34 for a purpose which will presently appear. The holding clamp member 23 at its top is formed with a pairof spaced horizontally directed arms 35 which on their under faces are formed with 30 aligned inverted V-shaped grooves 3S. The cooperating holding clamp member 24 is also formed with an outwardly directed arm 31, the

` top face of which is formed with a V-shaped groove 38 in alignment with the V-shaped 35 grooves 35. Normally the arms on the elements 23 and 24 are urged toward each other so as to clamp and hold therebetween an article which is to be engraved. To provide for this clamping engagement the element 24 is biased by a strong coil 40 spring 39 mounted within a socket formed in the member 24 and bearing at its opposite end upon a supporting plate 40 carried by the holding clamp member 23. For disengaging an article from the action of the clamping elements there is provided a thumb engaging button 4| carried by a pin which is mounted in the member 24 so that upon pressing downwardly upon the button 4| the work holding -clamp as a whole will first move and vthen the member 24 will be moved.50 relatively to the member 23 to separate the arms 35 and 31.

The pantograph I3 consists of the arms or limbs 42, 43, 44 and 45 pivoted together at the points 46, 41, 48 and the axis 49-'through the 55' cutter mounting. All four of the pivot mountings are movable, the only pivot mounting Ao1' the pantograph which is fixed being thatA extending through the lug I1. The arm 45 is considerably longer than the other arms, to provide for reduction in size of the reproduced matter, and adjacent its free end carries a tracing stylus 50 having a hand engaging knob 5I.

AThe cutter mounting i2 consists of a frame provided by the arm il which has an upwardly and reversely directed or overhanging portion 52 as best shown in Figs. 1 and 3. The arm 44 and overhanging portion 52 are each coaxially drilled along the axis 49 and each provided with a bushing extending through said drilled openings, the ends of the bushings extending beyond either face of the arms. 'I'he bushing which extends through the arm 52 is externally threaded at each end to accommodate the thumb nuts 53 and 5I while the bushing which extends through the arm 44 has a smooth surface at its upper end over which the arm 43 pivotally engages and said bushing is externally screw threaded at its lower projecting portion over which the hollow nose 55 of the cutter engages. Mounted through the bushings in the members M and 52 so as to be freely rotatable therein isa sleeve 56 upon which is xedly mounted a pulley 51 between the thumb nut 54 and the end of the lever 43. Trained over said pulley is an elastic belt 58 of any approved design which engages over the pulley on the driving shaft of the motor I5. The sleeve 56 adjacent its upper end is internally screw threaded and adjacent its lower end its bore is of reduced diameter, and extending through said sleeve is a cutter element 59 which screw threadedly engages the upper end of the sleeve and snugly extends through the reduced bore at the lower end vof the sleeve so as to be truly centered by said sleeve. The lower end of the cutter is ground to a very sharp point after which a cutting surface is provided by grinding away a portion of the face of the cutter at the point thereof. The cutter extends a very slight distance through the tip or apexof the cutter nose as best shown in Fig. 5 and to provide for discharge of the cutting chips, the nose is cut away as best shown in Fig. 5.

The platen I4 may be of any desired form and as herein shown is a fiat plate having an undercut groove extending longitudinally thereof for receiving type, stencils or a sheet of paper 60 containing a signature facsimile which is to be reproduced by engraving. Where a paper having a name facsimile thereon is employed it may be held xedly in place within the groove by spring clips 6I carried by slide elements 62 which may be clamped to the platen by thumb screws 63. At one end of the platen overlying the rocklever 32 is a plunger 64 normally held in its upn permost position by a spring 65, which plunger upon being depressed will engage the attened end 34 of the rock-lever to turn the sam'e and in so doing move the work holding clamp downwardly against the tension of the spring 30. The platen at its opposite end is provided with a hole into which the stylus 50 may seat when not in use.

For operating the motor a switch 66 may be disposed at the front of the base of the machine or at any other suitable position thereon. 'I'he machine as a whole may be mounted upon -a wooden or other supporting plate 61 so as to provide a closure for the underside of the base and lend greater portability to the machine.

OperationF-The point of the cutter is iirst ad- Justed to protrude the proper distance beyond the end of the nose by adjustment of the cutter with respect to its carrying sleeve and the lock nut`5l' carried by the cutter. The article to be engraved, for example a fountain pen barrel, is positioned in the v-shaped grooves and clamped between the, arms 35 and 31, the spring 3l serving to iirmly hold the article in place while l the spring 30 functions to urge the work holding clamp as a unit toward its uppermost position in which it will be engaged by the point of the cutter. A stencil or name facsimile which is to be reproduced by engraving is then positioned and held in the guide groove of the platen. The plunger 64 is depressed so as to move the work out of the path of the cutter. 'I'he motor is thereupon started by throwing the switch 86 and the engraving operation is commenced by bringing the tracing stylus 5I! to the beginning of the facsimile or other matter to be reproduced. The plunger 64 is now released thereby bringing the work into engagement with the cutter point and as the stylus 50 traces the stencil or name facsimile the cutter will reproduce the same on the article. Where a space is to be provided in the engraved matter or whenever it becomes necessary to move the work out of engagement with the cutter it is merely necessary to press down upon the plunger 64 and hold it down until the stylus is brought into position for continuing the engraving operation. VWhen the subject matter to be reproduced back and set into the opening in the platen, the

motor is stopped and the work is removed from the work holding clamp by pressing downwardly upon the button Il. After cleaning the engraved surface with a stiif brush the engraved matter may be filled in with a suitable wax of contrasting color to the article and permitted to dry after which the excess is wiped off leaving the engraved reproduction desired In outstanding relief.

Where the article to be engraved has a varying diameter or is tapered at one end as is the case with manyforms of pen barrels, such articles can be suitably clamped by mounting in the V-shaped groove 38 a supplemental V-shaped element 1li in such manner as to permit of a slight rocking action of said element longitudinally of the groove. This may be accomplished by forming'in the element 31 a socket 1I extending normally outwardly from the dihedral angle of the groove and providing the member 10 with a pin 12 extending normally outwardly from the dihedral angle, said pin being of a size to fit into the socket 1I and of a length slightly greater than the depth of said socket, as best shown in Figs. 6 and 7. The supplemental V-shaped element will permit slight tilting movement of the article within the Work holding clamp as the article is brought into engagement with the cutter-while still serving to clamp the article during the engraving operation.

It will be noted that in view of the pivotal mounting of the motor support at the xed pivot of the pantograph that the movable pivot or axis 49 will vary in distance from the motor or in using a section of such coil spring between the ends of a leather or other suitable belt. l

While we have herein `shown a preferred and practical embodiment of our invention, it is to be understood that changes in the specific detail of construction may be resorted to within the range of engineering skill without-departing from the invention.

What we claim is: 1. In an engraving machine, a pantograph, a motor driven cutter carried by one of the pantograph arms, a platen for holding the design or stencil to be traced by the stylus of the pantograph, and a Work support comprising a xed member, a Work holding clamp mounted on the iixed member to move vertically relatively thereto, resilient means biasing the work holding' clamp toward its uppermost position, a lever for moving the work holding clamp against the tension of the resilient means and means carried by the platen for operating said lever..

2. An engraving machine according to claim l wherein the lever is rockably mounted and one end of the lever is pivotally connected to the work holding clamp and the other end extends below the platen and a plunger extending through the' 40 clamping elements having V-shaped grooves therein facing each other, resilient means biasing saidelements into work clamping relation and a supplemental V-shaped element disposed in one of the V-shaped grooves of the clamping vele-w ments and adapted for limited longitudinal rocking movement therein. I

5. In an engraving machine, a rotatable cutter, a work holding clamp comprising cooperating clamping elements having `V-shaped grooves therein facing each other, resilient means biasing said elements into Work clamping relation, one of said V-shaped elements having a socket extending normally outwardly from the dihedral angle, and a supplemental V-shaped element having a pin extending normally outwardly from the dihedral angle and of a length slightly greater than the depth of the socket with said pin seating in said socket whereby to provide for limited rocking movement of the supplemental V-shaped element.

6. In an engraving machine, a pantograph, a motor driven cutter carried by one of the pantograph arms, and a Work support comprising a xed member, a work holding clamp mounted on the xed member to move vertically relatively thereto, said work holding clamp comprising cooperating clamping elements, one of which is carried by and movable relatively to the other, resilient means biasing said clamping elements into Work clamping relation, other resilient means biasing the work holding clamp toward its uppermost position, and manually operable means for moving the clamping elements of the holding clamp away from each other against the tension of the resilient means directly acting thereon, after the work holding clamp as a unit has been moved to its extreme downward position.

FRANK ACKERMAN. HERMAN GoULD. 

